MIAMI — The Miami Heat triumphed over the Detroit Pistons with a score of 106-98 on Monday night. Jimmy Butler led the charge for the Heat, contributing 23 points and providing seven assists. Supporting him were Terry Rozier, who added 20 points, and Tyler Herro with 19. Additionally, Bam Adebayo delivered a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Jaime Jaquez Jr. also chipped in with 12 points.
On the other side, Cade Cunningham emerged as Detroit’s top scorer with 24 points. However, the Pistons fell to an 0-4 record for the third time in five seasons. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 20 points, Jaden Ivey contributed 18, and Isaiah Stewart proved to be a force on the boards with 15 rebounds.
The Heat played without Kevin Love, who has been absent from all three of Miami’s games this season due to personal reasons. On a noteworthy date marking the 21st anniversary of Dwyane Wade’s debut, the team celebrated Wade with a halftime ceremony, coinciding with the recent unveiling of his statue outside the arena.
Keytakeaways from the game include Cunningham’s strong start, where he made his first seven shots before struggling in the latter part of the game, finishing 2 for 11 for the remainder of the matchup. Meanwhile, the Heat’s third quarters have been particularly challenging, having been outscored 65-32 in the first two games at home this season. On Monday, they were outperformed in the third quarter with a score of 26-14.
A critical moment of the game came when Cunningham’s three-pointer closed the gap to 50-46 with just over three minutes left in the half. However, after he fouled Rozier on a three-point attempt and picked up his third foul, it forced him to exit the game. Rozier capitalized by completing a four-point play, which contributed to an offensive surge that put Miami ahead at halftime, 64-53.
An impactful statistic from the game is that Miami scored the first 12 points of the fourth quarter, regaining the lead and holding onto it for the rest of the contest.
Looking ahead, both teams are set to compete again on Wednesday. The Pistons will head to Philadelphia, where Tobias Harris is expected to face his former team for the first time since January 2019. Meanwhile, the Heat will play host to the New York Knicks.